Contours Express vs DiscoverStrength Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Contours Express vs DiscoverStrength including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees
 
Contours Express Franchise
DiscoverStrength Franchise
Investment $35,000 - $50,000$271,250 - $481,000
Franchise Fee $12,500$49,000
Royalty Fee $395/mo.6%
Advertising Fee -2%
Year Founded 19982020
Year Franchised 19982020
Term Of Agreement 10 years-
Term Of Agreement 10 years-
Renewal Fee --


Business Experience Requirements
 
Contours Express Franchise
DiscoverStrength Franchise
Experience --

Financing Options
 
Contours Express Franchise
DiscoverStrength Franchise
  In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
Franchise Fees No/No-/-
Start-up Costs No/No-/-
Equipment No/Yes-/-
Inventory No/No-/-
Receivables No/No-/-
Payroll No/No-/-

Training & Support
 
Contours Express Franchise
DiscoverStrength Franchise
Training --
Support Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet

# Protected Territory # 5 days of Training at Contours Express University # 3-Day Training at your gym # Adjustable Weight Stack Equipment # 16 Stations - 4 extra stations optional # Butt-n-Gut cd # Preferred Vendor Discounts # Unlimited Ongoing Training # Advertising and Marketing Advice # 24/7 Online Marketing Materials Library # Personal Gym Website # Prepared PowerPoint Marketing Presentations # Nutritional Counseling Program - C.O.R.E. # Site Selection Assistance

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Marketing Ad slicks-
Operations 50% of all franchisees own more than one unit

Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 2

Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (50% of current franchisees are owner/operators)

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Expansion Plans
 
Contours Express Franchise
DiscoverStrength Franchise
US Expansion -Yes
Canada Expansion No-
International Expansion Yes-

Company Overviews

About Contours Express

After operating coed clubs, working as consultants and working in other areas of the fitness industry, Daren Carter, Mike Widener and Charlie Woodward joined forces to create a fitness center just for women. In 1998, the partners founded Contours Express, a women-only center catering to towns with populations too small to support a full-scale, coed gym.

Contours Express members follow a 29-minute cue tape that keeps them moving through aerobic stations and strength training machines. A fitness trainer (the franchisee or an employee) works with the members during their workouts, providing motivation and other services.

Clubs, which are usually located in strip centers, are about 1,200 square feet in size and can accommodate up to 20 members at a time.

About DiscoverStrength

"Discover
Discover Strength Franchising LLC offers individual unit franchises for the development and operation of a Discover Strength™ business offering no-compromise strength training experiences to customers of all ages through one-on-one and small group training sessions, and other related services and products. 
We will guide you as you select and build out your own Discover Strength studio: Streamlined prototypes range from 1,600 to 2,200 square feet. A concept that can work in a variety of shopping centers and other lifestyle-centric locations. No locker rooms, treadmills, showers, or pools. The Discover Strength model offers an incredible value proposition by producing higher revenue per square foot than the vast majority of retail, restaurant, and fitness business models.